Payman Accuses Albanese of Being "Petty" Over Staffing

Independent senator Fatima Payman has accused Prime Minister Anthony Albanese of being "petty" for not granting her additional staff. She made the accusation at a late-night Senate estimates hearing on 27 October.

Estimates hearings are where senators question officials about government spending. They are part of the annual budget cycle, and the government's portfolios are spread across eight Senate committees for that work.

Payman represents Western Australia. She defected from the Australian Labor Party in 2024. ABC News has reported that she is the only independent in parliament without any additional personal staff allocated to her.

At the hearing, Payman said she had requested an additional adviser two years ago, in line with other independent offices, and that the prime minister had yet to process the request. The Guardian She put her questions about the staffing to Senator Don Farrell. Sydney Morning Herald

She also asked whether the prime minister was waiting for what happened to Helen Haines, the independent MP for Indi, to happen again.

Farrell asked Payman to withdraw her comments. Payman refused, saying she would not do so until Albanese processed or responded to her staffing request.